IMHO, the benefits do not justify the expense…for the reasons stated above.
But, nitrogen was my gas of choice when I spent my summers at the racetracks where there were no utilities in the paddock.
Each spring I would rent a nitrogen cylinder. It was easier to load into the tow vehicle or trailer and it provided all the compressed “air” I needed for the entire season. I used it to run pneumatic wrenches and to fill the racer’s tires.
On that car, nitrogen filled tires made a huge difference. With compressed air, my lap times would increase a few 10ths every lap after just a few laps. We would see as much as 15 psi increases by race end. That much increase created an ill-handling car…loss of grip, understeer and oversteer. I would typically lose one or two positions late in the race because of all the slipping and sliding.
Then, a paddock neighbor offered his cylinder gas after I bemoaned my handling issues. I was amazed at the difference. The tires gained only 1 PSI after a 10 lap qualifying session and 3 psi at the end of the 100 mile race. That resulted in my first podium finish! And, my tires were still useable for practice and testing sessions…not ripped to shreds from all the scrubbing and skidding.
But, with a compressor in the garage, and for “normal” passenger car driving, nitrogen is just not justified.
But, nitrogen was my gas of choice when I spent my summers at the racetracks where there were no utilities in the paddock.
Each spring I would rent a nitrogen cylinder. It was easier to load into the tow vehicle or trailer and it provided all the compressed “air” I needed for the entire season. I used it to run pneumatic wrenches and to fill the racer’s tires.
On that car, nitrogen filled tires made a huge difference. With compressed air, my lap times would increase a few 10ths every lap after just a few laps. We would see as much as 15 psi increases by race end. That much increase created an ill-handling car…loss of grip, understeer and oversteer. I would typically lose one or two positions late in the race because of all the slipping and sliding.
Then, a paddock neighbor offered his cylinder gas after I bemoaned my handling issues. I was amazed at the difference. The tires gained only 1 PSI after a 10 lap qualifying session and 3 psi at the end of the 100 mile race. That resulted in my first podium finish! And, my tires were still useable for practice and testing sessions…not ripped to shreds from all the scrubbing and skidding.
But, with a compressor in the garage, and for “normal” passenger car driving, nitrogen is just not justified.
